How to Transfer Data from Phone to Xiaomi: A Complete 2026 Guide

Moving to a new Xiaomi smartphone is always an exciting moment: you want all the important data — from contacts to photos — to move to a new device without loss. But how to do it correctly? Mistakes during transfer can be expensive: lost messages, broken archives or even locking an account due to incorrect authorization. This article will help you avoid typical problems and choose the best way to migrate depending on your situation.

We'll look at all the current methods of 2026, from Mi Mover branded tools to universal cloud services, and also analyze the nuances of porting from iPhones and old Android devices. Special attention will be paid to data security, you will learn which files are better to transfer manually and which can be entrusted to automatic systems. And don't worry: even if you have never done such operations before, our step-by-step instructions with pictures (available via links) will make the process intuitive.

1.Preparation for transfer: what to do before the beginning

Before you start migrating, follow a few critical steps, which can cause data loss or a new phone to crash, starting with checking device compatibility:

• 📱 Operating System: Make sure your old phone has an up-to-date version of Android (at least 6.0) or iOS (at least 12.0). Xiaomi must have firmware MIUI 12 or later. Check Settings → About the phone.
• 🔋 Battery charge: Both devices must be charged at least 50%. Data transfer can take up to 2 hours, and discharging in the process is fraught with errors.
• 📶 Wi-Fi: Most methods require a stable connection to a single network. Avoid mobile internet, it can shut down at the most inopportune moment.
• 🔒 Backups: Create backups of critical data on a cloud drive or computer. It's crash insurance.

Pay special attention to your Mi Account. If you haven’t signed in to the new Xiaomi, do it in advance through Settings → Xiaomi Account. Without linking to your account, some portability features (such as Mi Mover) will not be available. Also check if there is enough space on the new device – go to Settings → Memory.

⚠️ Warning: If you are porting data from your iPhone, turn off Find iPhone in iCloud settings. Otherwise, Mi Mover will not be able to access the files.

2. Method 1: Mi Mover – Xiaomi’s proprietary tool

Mi Mover is Xiaomi’s official app designed specifically for data migration between devices, which supports transferring contacts, messages, photos, videos, audio, notes, calendars and even some system settings, and the main advantage is the preservation of folder structure and metadata files (dates of creation, geotags, etc.), which is important for photos and documents.

How to use Mi Mover:

1. Download the app on both phones: On Xiaomi: usually preinstalled (see Tools in the Tools folder). On old phone: available on Google Play (Android) or App Store (iOS).
2. Open Mi Mover on both devices and select roles: On the old phone: I am the sender. On the new Xiaomi: I am the receiver.

Next

Select data types to transfer (you can mark everything or select selectively).

Confirm the transmission. Wait until it's done, the phone will reboot automatically.

⚠️ Warning: If the Mi Mover is stuck in the Prep phase during the transfer, check if the antivirus or memory optimizer on the old phone is blocking the transmission.

Install Mi Mover on both phones|Sign in to your Mi Account on the new Xiaomi|Connect both phones to the same Wi-Fi network|Charge devices to at least 50%|Shut down. VPN and antivirus-->

Method 3: Transfer through Google Account (for Android)

If you have both Android phones, the most reliable way is to sync through Google Account, which ensures that your data is kept safe even when you have a transmission failure, because it is stored in the cloud, suitable for contacts, calendars, notes, some settings, and even some of your applications’ data (such as game progress).

Instructions:

1. On your old phone, go to Settings → Accounts → Google and make sure that sync is enabled for all the right categories (contacts, calendar, etc.).
2. On the new Xiaomi, when you first turn on, select the Recovery option and log in to the same Google account. If the phone is already set up, go to Settings → Accounts → Add an account → Google.
3. In Backup (Settings → Google → Backup), enable automatic copy creation, which will be useful for future transfers.
4. Wait until the synchronization is complete. The time depends on the amount of data (from 10 minutes to several hours).

Advantages of the method:

• 🔄 Automation: Data is updated in the cloud in the background.
• 🛡️ Security: Google encrypts the information transmitted.
• 📱 Universality: Works on any Android device, not just Xiaomi.

Limitations:

• ❌ Not portable SMS/MMS (only through third-party applications like SMS Backup & Restore).
• ❌ Photos and videos are synced only if they were uploaded to Google Photos separately.
• ❌ Some apps (like WhatsApp) require a separate backup.

💡

If you have slow internet, connect to Wi-Fi before syncing and turn off automatic app updates on Google Play.

4. Method 3: Transfer from iPhone to Xiaomi (via Move to iOS or alternatives)

Moving from iPhone to Xiaomi is a much more complex task because of different ecosystems. Apple’s official Move to iOS app only works one way (from Android to iPhone), so you’ll have to use workarounds to reverse the transfer.

Method A: Using iCloud + Mi Mover

This method is suitable for transferring contacts, photos and notes:

1. On iPhone, enable sync with iCloud (Settings → [Your name] → iCloud) for contacts, photos, and notes.
2. Export contacts from iCloud: Go to iCloud.com from your computer. Select Contacts → Click on the gear → Export vCard. Save the.vcf file to your computer.
3. Import contacts to Xiaomi: Send the.vcf file to a new phone (by mail or messenger). Open the file - the system will suggest adding contacts to the address book.

Mi Mover

Google Photo

iPhone

Xiaomi

Method B: Through third-party applications (e.g. Copy My Data)

Apps like Copy My Data (available on the App Store and Google Play) allow you to transfer contacts, photos, videos and calendars over Wi-Fi:

1. Install Copy My Data on both phones.
2. On your iPhone, select Copy Data from This Device.
3. On Xiaomi, select Copy Data to This Device.
4. Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network and follow the instructions on the screen.

⚠️ Warning: When transferring from your iPhone, do not use the Reset feature on your old phone until the migration is complete. Some data (such as notes) may be stored locally and will be lost.

5. Method 4: Manual transfer via computer (for large amounts of data)

If you have to move tens of gigabytes of photos, videos or documents, the most reliable way is to use your computer as an intermediary, eliminating the risk of data loss due to a wireless connection break, and allowing you to filter out unnecessary files before copying.

Step-by-step:

1. Connect your old phone to your computer via the USB- cable. Select File Transfer Mode (MTP) in the notification on your phone.
2. Copy the necessary folders to your computer: Photos and videos: DCIM, Pictures, Movies. Documents: Downloads, Documents. Music: Music, Ringtones.
3. Turn off your old phone and connect your new Xiaomi. Also select File Transfer Mode.
4. Move the copied folders to the new phone, so you can create the same folder structures that you had on the old device for convenience.
5. For contacts and SMS, use separate backups: Contacts: export to.vcf file via Contacts app. SMS: use SMS Backup & Restore (saves to XML).

Advantages of the manual method:

• 📁 Complete control: You choose which files to transfer and which files not to transfer.
• 🔄 Unlimited: Suitable for volumes over 100 GB.
• 🛠️ Recovery: You can repeat the transfer if you make an error.

Disadvantages:

• ⏳ Time: Copying large volumes can take hours.
• 🔌 Cables: A USB- cable (preferably original for transmission speed) is required.

💡

Manual transfer via computer is the only way to guarantee all metadata files (dates of creation, geotagged, EXIF-data photos).

Method 5: Cloud Services (Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox)

Cloud storage is convenient for data transfer if you don’t have access to your computer or want to keep a backup “just in case.” Consider three popular services and their features when working with Xiaomi:

Instructions for Google Drive:

1. On your old phone, install Google Drive and log in.
2. Click + → Download and select files to transfer.
3. After downloading, open Google Drive on the new Xiaomi.
4. Find the uploaded files and download them to the device.

For OneDrive:

• Install the app on both phones.
• On an old phone, upload files to the OneDrive → Files folder.
• On the new Xiaomi, download files through the app.

⚠️ Warning: When you upload a large number of photos to Google Photos, check the quality settings (Settings → Backup and Sync → Download Quality). Choosing the High Quality option over Original will save space but compress files.

7. Transfer of applications and their data

The hardest part of migration is migrating installed applications and their data (e.g., game saves, chat history in instant messengers), there is no universal solution, but we have collected proven ways for popular categories:

Social networks and messengers

• 📱 WhatsApp: Use the built-in backup in Google Drive (Settings → Chat → Backup). On your new phone, install WhatsApp and restore data when you first start.
• 💬 Telegram: All chats and media files are synced through the cloud automatically after login.
• 📘 VK/Instagram: Just log in to your account and the data will be downloaded from the servers.

Games

• 🎮 Account-Based: Games with Google Play Games, Facebook authorization, or your own accounts (e.g. Genshin Impact, Clash of Clans) will keep progress after login.
• 🕹️ Local Save: For non-cloud synced games (such as Minecraft), copy the Android/obb and Android/data folder via your computer.

Banking applications and 2FA

Banking applications (Sberbank, Tinkoff, etc.) and authenticator applications (Google Authenticator, Mi Authenticator) require special attention:

• 🏦 Banks: Reinstall the application and log in again. Some banks (e.g. VTB) require a branch visit to link the new device.
• 🔑 2FA: In Google Authenticator, export codes through Settings → Export accounts (password required). In Mi Authenticator, use the backup function in Mi Account.

💡

Before transferring games, check if the game supports cross-platform, for example, in PUBG Mobile, progress is tied to a Facebook/Google account, and in Call of Duty: Mobile, to an Activision account.

8. Frequent errors and their solutions

Even if you follow the instructions, you can have problems, and we've collected some common mistakes and ways to fix them:

If none of the methods worked, try resetting the settings on the new Xiaomi and repeat the transfer from clean state. To do this, go to Settings → About Phone → Reset. Remember, resetting will delete all data from the new phone!

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions